 Notice how wax and dirt builds...  Notice how wax and dirt builds up behind the emblems. |  A quick, circular wiping motion...  A quick, circular wiping motion with Mothers cleaner wax and now there's a clean gap between the paint and the chrome. |  I've really come to prefer...  I've really come to prefer Royal Purple's Maxifilm as great general-assembly lubricant. Taking a few seconds to lubricate parts before assembly will save hours in the long run. |
 I never wait until assembling...  I never wait until assembling something to find out if the nuts will screw on easily. Here I am checking the threads by hand to see if the nut tightens easily. |  If not, the next step is to...  If not, the next step is to carefully run the nut down with a socket, or wrench. If there's any more than slight resistance, the next step is run a die nut, or die, over the threads. |  The F-100 blazes from Sacramento...  The F-100 blazes from Sacramento Vintage Ford Parts include new mounting hardware that is equal to, if not better than, original. |
 Beyond being cuter than a...  Beyond being cuter than a damn bug, this handy little Snap-on 1/4-inch ratchet not only fits into tight places, but its extra-short handle ensures nuts will not be over-tightened to the point where parts will break. |  Man, if that don't look like...  Man, if that don't look like a brand-new '56 Ford, what does? |  Not visible is my other hand...  Not visible is my other hand removing the two 14-28 NF SAE nuts from the inside of the hood. I am holding the front of the emblem so that it will not fall off and chip my paint when it's loose. |
 This standard body 1/4-inch...  This standard body 1/4-inch Snap-on ratchet (also available with 3/8 drive, which is real handy!) provides plenty of torque to disassemble emblems. Notice that I'm using six-point sockets to ensure the flats will not be rounded. |  Using Mothers instant detailer...  Using Mothers instant detailer works way better than Windex (which will strip wax) to clean off handprints left after the job is done. |  Before fitting the front emblem...  Before fitting the front emblem to the hood, I made sure the gasket was free of debris and lined up. |
 I bought both of these Snap-on...  I bought both of these Snap-on 1/4-inch ratchets at least 20 years ago. A friend of mine told me at the time they would last me way longer than the girl I had back then he was right. |  Repeating all of the cautionary...  Repeating all of the cautionary steps listed for the F-100 blazes, the hood emblem went right on that's it, I'm heading to the Donut Derelicts, and then down to Cars & Coffee. | |